Opinions

I have a lot of opinions. Opinions about politics, about government, about the law, about healthcare, ethics, morality, duty, and so much more. These are the things I thought I would write about when I started this blog. The problem I have is how to state my opinions and not run counter to my professional life. It's not to say that I represent clients who are diametrically opposed to my personal opinions and beliefs, but I never know who the next client may be and I don't want to take a position that could hinder that relationship or my representation of that potential client. That leaves me in a bind.

It is safe to say that I tend to have liberal views. I don't like political parties though. I think allegiance to a political party rather than a core set of beliefs is causing our country to only care about elections instead of governing and care about popularity rather than what is right. Somehow politics is no longer about compromise, but about giving prizes to the people with the most money spent on the topic at hand and lambasting the people who didn't put enough money on the table. It's not right. Any of it!

Unfortunately, I don't have answers. But, I can say this. I believe in taxes. I don't believe in wasteful government. I don't believe in earmarks that skip the majority vote process. I do believe in providing the country a strong military. I do believe in providing our men and women who fight for us with the proper equipment. I don't believe we should continue to concentrate all of our resources based upon terrorism, but based upon our national interests. Really, terrorism is not new and is not going to be stamped out through killing and violence. I do believe in free speech. I do believe in the power of the people. I don't believe corporations are people. I do believe we now live in an oligarchy dressed up as a democracy. I don't believe that is right.

I am scared by what I see in the news. I am scared that unions are being destroyed so that corporations can make more money. I am scared that making money is more important than saving lives. I am scared that education is being sacrificed to cut deficits, but taxation is not considered because the ultra-rich are willing to pay millions in lobbying rather than pay taxes to cover education.

I believe we are better off living in a society and by doing so are responsible for each other. I don't like it when people do nothing and get a check because I work hard. But I don't believe all people are like that. No child deserves to go hungry. No mother should have to chose between seeing their children grow and putting food on the table for them. We will only continue to lose our grip on power in this world if all our children are not given the chance to succeed, if they are all not fed, and if they are all not provided healthcare. I don't understand why our priority is on lowering taxes and not on future generations. Without the children, none of this matters.